Soulless Mannequin
by Pink Yuki
Summary: MAJOR alternative pairing (not so obvious yet, but still). Read at your own risk... comments and reviews please?


**Soulless Mannequin **

Chapter 1

By pinkyuki

Alternative pairing, A/U, bastardized characters

**********

She stepped out of the shower and stood in front of the full-length mirror. She knew she is pretty, beautiful even, as she stared at her reflection. "You are as pretty as a doll." How many times did her so-called father tell her that? She has lost count. 

She continued staring at her form speechless, silently noting that she should trim her hair a little as the split ends were beginning to show. Her father liked perfection, and perfection only. There was no way she would ever go against him.

Despite the fact that she hated him.

She had been a lonely child. Since the death of her parents, she had been living with adults – the youngest of them all was still a good 4 years older than her. 

But she did become close to one person. She was on a mission, her first mission, when she was 9 years old. Her father's orders were to simply get close to the target and determine whether the madougu her target held was real or not. If yes, stole it and disappeared.

It was an easy mission. She had become close to that girl, Fuuko, and she had grown to like her target, which she knew was taboo. The madougu Fuuko held was the real Fuujin, and she stole it. Before she left she had sat next to a sleeping Fuuko, telling her she loved her and that she wished for a happy life in front of her.

But once she came back to the Uruha household she knew something was wrong. Her father was out, and when she asked where he had gone, it was Fuuko's address she got. 

He killed her. In front of her very own eyes, he killed the one person she really cared for. She should have known that he never let anyone involve with a madougu lived. 

She could see the surprise in his eyes when she burst into the door, but he still killed Fuuko with that beautiful blue flame of his. She remembered clearly how he asked her to leave like a doll should with silent rage in his voice; but she stood there, unable to move, as she witnessed the angel of fire danced around Fuuko and drained the life out of the girl. Only then did she move her legs towards the girl, tears in her eyes, as she caught Fuuko's falling figure. 

"You're not a doll, even if you are as pretty as one." She would never forget those words Fuuko said when she held the older girl's dying form.

It was then she decided she would never forgive him. But she also knew there was no way she would ever be able to go against him.

It was then did she truly become a doll.

**********

"Ganko!!! Are you there????" Koganei called in front of Ganko's door, a large envelop in his hand.

"Please come in, Koganei-sama." The door clicked open and a small stuff animal in tuxedo politely bowed.

Koganei hesitated as he wondered whether he should say thanks or not to the stuff toy, but he decided against it. He walked into the room to see Ganko putting down a book. "Once in a while you should open the door by yourself you know." He smiled at the girl, "Here, new mission." He handed her the envelope.

Koganei stared at his childhood friend silently. Ganko has become a beautiful young woman, her gold locks framing her face perfectly as she leaned towards the light to read the contents of the mission. However, that exquisite beauty seemed hollow. Since she came back from her first mission she has rarely had any expression. It was hard to imagine the once vibrant and cheerful child has now turned into one with only a blank look on her face.

Ganko turned to face Koganei and nodded, indicating that she understood the mission. It was an easy mission, involving the assassination of a certain drug dealer. The plan detailed was for her to disguise as a teenage prostitute, as the man seemed to have a taste for young girls, got close to the target and killed him. Nothing she had not done before, including the small remark that she might actually need to do the deed with the extremely mean and ugly looking man in the picture.

Koganei looked at the girl in front of him in disbelief. "Are you sure? Did you even looked at that picture? He's NASTY!" He almost yelled the words. Although he hated to admit it, but he loved Ganko, and to see that she took such mission with ease pained him.

She stood gracefully in front of him. In a monotonous voice, "It's a mission given by Kurei, my father." With that she walked swiftly to the door.

Koganei sighed. "Where are you going?" He called after the girl's back, admitting bitter defeat.

"To see my mentors." 

**********

She stared at the colorful door silently before she knocked. The door almost opened immediately. "Hello darling." The blonde man smiled as she reached for a kiss on his cheeks. 

"Good evening, Joker-sama." Ganko walked into the room, carefully stepped towards the empty chair at the desk without treading on clothes that were spread all over the floor. "Writing again, I presume?" Her icy exterior melted as an amused smile crept up her lips as she stared at the computer on the desk.

"What else do I do?" The blonde man jumped onto his bed, lying down on his back. "So, what brings you here tonight?" Joker eyed the girl from the corner of his eyes. "Mission?"

"What else?" She smiled tiredly at her mentor. The Uruha training program was complicated. Only a selected few, for example Koganei and her, were to have the Jyushinshuus as their mentors. Koganei's were Kurei, Raiha, and Neon; for her it was Joker, Mikoto, and Mikagami Tokiya. Day after day they practiced their skills in killing, mastering the art of deception, and to study.

Joker was an exceptional mentor; the only person in the residence who has seen her true smile since 8 years ago. She had learned from him everything she needed to know about carrying out missions, but furthermore, she had slowly opened up to him.

Joker read over the envelope and furrowed his brows. He knew that the girl was Kurei's most prized possession, but to think that the same Kurei would send the girl to such sickening mission was disturbing. "So, you took it?" He sat up, waving the letter in his hands.

Ganko nodded. "Not that I can get out of it. In the remarks it said that that guy likes teenage girls, and I am the only one around." She walked towards the bed and sat next to Joker.

"I can imagine how angry Koganei is right now." Joker chuckled softly as Ganko lightly punched him.

"He was. But then again, it's none of his business." Ganko whispered. She looked up at the ceiling absentmindedly while she shifted to lean onto Joker's shoulders. "It's the first rule for all Uruha members - 'Ye shall not love'. I have learned that it is the one and only rule I will never break, no matter what."

Joker put an arm around the girl, embracing Ganko's lithe form. "Since when did my little girl turned so cold? It's so obvious that the boy is in love with you. And mind you, that rule was made because of me... since Neon kept complaining to Kurei about my _supposedly_ attempts to woe her." He laughed as he petted the girl. "Maybe you should see our resident ice cube less for believing in such stupid rules!" He laughed.

Ganko smiled a little. "Don't say that about Mikagami-sama. He is a very nice man." She avoided Joker's teasing gaze. With a sigh, she continued, "Okay, so maybe he is a little distant…"

"A little? Darling, you don't need to be that polite in front of me." He kissed the girl's forehead lightly.

A knock was heard from the door and Ganko instinctively jumped back to the chair. The doorknob turned to reveal the purple-haired ninja.

"Oh hello, Ganko-chan…" Raiha promptly tripped on Joker's discarded clothing. Smiling embarrassingly, he pulled himself up and let out a lame laugh.

"Raiha-sama." Ganko was once again expressionless as she bowed. She turned to Joker, "Thank you for your advice, Joker-sama. Good night." She bowed again at the two men, and walked out of the room.

Raiha looked after the girl's retreating form and sighed. He settled himself in the chair Ganko occupied, "You know, she really would look much better with a smile." 

"That's easy."

"How so?"

"Just go on a mission with her. You've heard the rumors right? She surpasses Mikoto in terms of acting." Joker put on his cap as he leaned back onto the pillows.

Raiha stared at his friend. "You know that's not what I mean."

Joker pulled his cap lower, "And you know her nickname alright."

"The doll." 

"And please tell me, how can a doll truly smile?" 


End file.
